Choosing a Mothership

Winter 2008

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
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by Ron Mumford

When attending the West Coast Sea Kayak Symposium at Port Townsend and Paddlefest on Vancouver Island, we have watched people coming to kick the tires, so to speak, of the array of kayaks stretched out along the beach. When you look at the variety—long, short, narrow, wide, single, double, fiberglass, plastic, wood, folding, inflatable—you wonder how anyone could possibly choose.

But before the selection process begins, potential buyers will likely have established a set of criteria that will help narrow down their choices. If they plan to paddle with a partner, they may be looking at doubles; if they have aspirations for multi-day expeditions, they will be looking at boats with longer waterlines and the capacity to carry lots of gear; or if they want to carry a kayak on a mothership, they will look at the smaller recreational kayaks that are light and stable and easy to stow on a power or sail boat. Kayak symposiums are the ideal opportunity to “try before you buy” and to take advantage of the helpful advice of many experienced paddlers all assembled in one place.

You will be faced with at least as much diversity to choose from if, at some point, you come to the realization that purchasing a mothership makes sense for you. It may come from your desire to extend the range and variety of your kayaking experiences, or you may want more comfortable accommodation while kayaking the coast. Finding a suitable boat is even more daunting than selecting your first kayak when you consider the complexity of power and sail boats and the financial investment they require.

After years of cruising the coast on various vessels, we became boatless for a number of reasons. We borrowed friends’ boats for a few years, in exchange for helping with maintenance, and then moved to kayaks as a simpler alternative to owning a boat. The year we got our first kayaks, 14 foot Necky Zoars, we carried them on the top of a tent trailer to Bamfield. We had a great time that summer paddling in and around Bamfield and Grappler Inlets and the Deer Group, but having the kayaks rekindled our desire to have a big boat again so we could explore our old cruising haunts by kayak. Finding a suitable boat this time was more complicated than previous searches because this time the boat had to function as a mothership to our kayaks.

But, like selecting a kayak, having answers to some questions and a clearly defined set of criteria helps to narrow the field of possibilities and focus the search. When you know what features are most important to you, you can go to the Internet to see what is available, then walk some docks and “kick some tires.” Here are some questions that helped us choose our mothership.

How much do we have to spend?
As with any major purchase, your budget will influence what you look at. More money will allow you the luxury to consider better quality construction, a newer or bigger boat and more or better accessories.

Power or Sail?
Sailboats win hands down for being the most economical and environmentally friendly means of marine transportation. Nothing (except maybe paddling) beats cruising along at hull speed under full sail, making no noise and burning no fuel. Also, having two modes of propulsion is reassuring for safety reasons.

Nevertheless, we were looking for a powerboat this time. We started our cruising experiences on sailboats, and even though we still love to sail, we found that for cruising this coast, especially northern Vancouver Island and Central Coast, with its long, narrow inlets, tidal currents and cooler temperatures, power makes better sense for us. Our cruising time is limited and we like to get a fair distance from home, so the power option allows us to get where we want to go more quickly, and we can travel more comfortably in rain and low temperatures. Also, we like to see out when we’re down below, and powerboats generally have bigger windows and better visibility when you’re inside.

How big does the boat need to be?
With three of us in the family, we figured a boat in the mid thirty foot range would provide the type of accommodation we were looking for: enclosed head, comfortable sleeping, functional galley, a big enough dinette, outdoor seating space and adequate storage.

A number of popular trawler style boats have this kind of accommodation (e.g., Grand Banks, CHB, Albin and Marine Trader). They have the added benefit of three separate living areas—an aft cabin, which usually contains an enclosed head and sleeping area; a midship space with a galley, dinette and settee; and a forward cabin with a second head and sleeping berths. This tri-cabin configuration is very popular with families and couples who like to cruise with guests. With the long waterline of a 34 – 38 foot boat, you can expect to cruise at an economical 8 knots and have the stability to comfortably handle most sea conditions you encounter.

How/where will the kayaks be carried?
This question pretty much eliminated or admitted boats to our short list right away. If there was no place to carry three kayaks without causing safety and convenience issues, we moved on. We also wanted ease of loading and unloading the kayaks. After cruising one year on a boat with very high freeboard, which meant a long haul up and down every time we launched or picked up the kayaks, a lower hull seemed appealing.

How easy will it be to enter and exit the kayaks?
A swim grid was one of our main boat-search criteria, because of how simple it is to get in and out of a kayak when you are down near water level. A high freeboard hull with no swim grid would make life pretty difficult.

Wood or Glass?
Like kayaks, boats are constructed from various materials. Fiberglass and wood are the most common for pleasure boats; work boats are often built of durable and maintenance free aluminum. I’ve always preferred wood boats—I like the feel, the look and the smell of wood, and I much prefer working on wood boats (which is a good thing because they require constant maintenance) so we looked for a wood boat in good condition. If you’re considering fiberglass, watch for compression cracks around deck fittings and blistering below the waterline. These symptoms could be signs of serious underlying problems.

Gas or Diesel?
There is no doubt in my mind—diesel engines are the preferred source of power for both sail and powerboats. They are safer (less chance of fire or explosion), less troublesome and usually more fuel efficient. Gas engines are quieter and cheaper to repair and replace however, and gas is cleaner burning—no black soot on your transom or dinghy. Given the choice, I would choose a diesel engine, but they cost more, so if budget is a factor, as it was for us, you should keep that in mind. The price of diesel has recently exceeded that of gas, so the difference in economics is narrowing.

What gear do we need?
Other important considerations we looked for were good ground tackle for anchoring, electronics for navigation and communications, reasonable fuel and water capacity and holding tanks (now mandatory for anchoring in some harbors).

Don’t forget the beauty!
Boats are one of life’s pleasures that appeal to their owners in unique and unpredictable ways. You will fall in love with one boat and not give another a second glance. Because she will demand your time and money, you really need to feel a special connection to her—you will likely know what this feels like even before you step aboard.

Our Final Choice
After months of Internet and on-the-ground searches, we purchased Loafer II, a 35 foot, wooden Chris Craft, built in 1968. She is a Picnic style boat—a style that is seeing a resurgence in the new boat market. They characteristically have a single, covered steering station, which means only one set of electronics to purchase and maintain, unlike boats with a flying bridge which generally have two of everything. The deck over the wheelhouse is ideal for carrying our three kayaks. We can get our son’s 9 foot Lightspeed Enigma and our two 12.10 Deltas, both very light kayaks, up and down easily. The boat’s low freeboard makes it perfect for retrieving and launching the kayaks over the rails, and the swim grid makes it easy to enter and exit our kayaks.

She has an inflatable dinghy on davits, which is a big plus in terms of ease of docking, creating less drag when we’re running, and safety—the dinghy is ready to be launched quickly if need be, with engine and fuel already on board.

Down below, she has an enclosed head, a raised dinette, a settee that doubles as a bunk, V-berth up forward, and a convenient galley to port, out of the passageway.

Loafer II has gas engines. Twin gas! A far cry from the single diesel I had first envisioned buying, but we didn’t find a diesel engine boat that met our other criteria in our price range. However, this is the first twin engine boat I have owned, and I find that I really like the maneuverability and the confidence an extra engine gives when we’re upcoast and isolated. Also, the two engines don’t have to work as hard as one to run at our desired speed. We tend to cruise at half the speed she is capable of to burn less fuel, but knowing the power is available should we need it is also reassuring. She has bilge blowers and sniffers, which help reduce the risks associated with gas.

Best of all, due to the love of the previous owner, she was beautifully maintained and equipped—all we had to do was move our personal gear aboard and cast off. The great condition of the boat was a definite factor in our final choice, especially because our scheduled holiday time was very soon, and we didn’t have time to renovate or refurbish.

So, if the idea of purchasing a big boat to act as a mothership to your kayaks has occurred to you, decide first what features and qualities are most important, then start looking. There are so many boats of such diverse character on this coast, you are sure to find one that will be your home away from home and that will let you paddle in new places not previously so accessible.